The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has fixed 150 as the minimum cut-off mark for admission into universities for the 2026/27 academic session.
The decision was announced on Monday during JAMB’s annual policy meeting in Abuja, where it was said to have been reached through a vote involving vice-chancellors present at the session.
The board also set 150 as the cut-off mark for colleges of nursing, while polytechnics will admit candidates with a minimum score of 100 out of 400 obtainable marks.
The scores, referred to as National Minimum Tolerable UTME Scores, represent the lowest benchmarks allowed for admission, meaning no institution is permitted to admit candidates below the agreed thresholds.
However, tertiary institutions retain the discretion to set higher cut-off marks for their programmes.
Last year, the university cut-off mark was also pegged at 150, a decision that sparked public debate, with some stakeholders arguing that the threshold was too low for university admission.
At the same meeting, the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, reaffirmed that the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions remains 16 years.
“Following extensive consultations and policy reviews, the government has maintained sixteen (16) years as the minimum age for admission into tertiary institutions,” he said.
He added that while exceptional cases may exist, they must be handled under strict guidelines to safeguard the integrity of the system.
Alausa also reiterated that admissions conducted outside the Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) would not be recognised, describing such practices as illegal.
